You want to be a thought leader in your industry. What's the best way to get started?

Want to stand out as a thought leader? Begin by immersing yourself in cutting-edge research, industry developments, and societal trends. Share your unique insights, analyses, and forecasts across multiple platforms, from articles and podcasts to social media, offering valuable perspectives to your audience. Engage in thoughtful discussions, demonstrating your expertise and viewpoint. Embrace a mindset focused on growth and opportunity, viewing challenges as chances to innovate and influence. By consistently contributing thoughtful, forward-looking ideas, you'll inspire others and drive meaningful change, establishing your status as a true thought leader.

You can't find your niche without first identifying and packaging the stories and lived experiences that only you can share. Thought leadership is so much about storytelling. Consider starting with a) Brene Brown's List of Values exercise (narrow them down to just 2) and b) take some time to write down your 4-6 life-changing moments. Then mesh a) and b) with your professional expertise and skill sets.

In my journey, the initial stride towards establishing oneself as a thought leader involves identifying a specialized segment within your industry. This niche should be a realm where you can provide distinctive viewpoints and insights. Choose an area that aligns with your passion and allows you to cultivate profound expertise. For me, this translated to concentrating on the convergence of technology and customer experience, a domain where I believed my background and interests could contribute significantly.

A generalist is the new Specialist :) (Controversies/contradiction galore). In the age of automation and the GenAI, the world of Niche is fading. Looks like the Renaissance ( Renaissance man or polymath is used for a very clever human who is good at many different things. It is named after the Renaissance period of history (from the 14th century to the 16th or 17th century in Europe. Two of the best-known people from this time were Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo) man/woman(Human) will regain prominence. Quite evidently, domains such as liberal arts/Design thinking/creators economy are gaining strength. In philosophical terms, the age of "Poststructuralism" is in our everyday life. Fuild and ever-evolving, like #Zinbad& his Adventures

Over the past 27 years helping experts become Thought Leaders, I've learned that finding your niche is about 3 things, which combined, I refer to as an Ultra-Niche. My 3 Step Ultra-Niche Process: 1. Be yourself in business. 2. Define the kind of audience that has the funds to be able to afford the rates that you want to charge for your services 3. Defind the kind of audience that also has the desire to solve the problems that they have Because you see, not everyone wants to solve their problems. And when you are genuine and authentic with your personality in business, and identify the right audience that has the money to pay the rates you seek and desire to solve their problems, your Ultra-Niche acts as rocket fuel for your business.

To become a thought leader, you need to have strong opinions and be an expert in your field. You could be the first to come up with an idea or the most well-known for bringing something new. It's also important to be unique and stir up interest, but in a positive way—avoid being rude or causing harm. A key step to becoming a thought leader is to make your content simple to share. You want anyone, even those unfamiliar with you or your company, to easily pass on what they read to others. So, ensure your content is readily shareable for them.

Sorry, LinkedIn AI. But "create valuable content" is not thought leadership. Not by itself. Thought leadership involves adding to or advancing the discourse in your industry. It involves influencing how people view it or what they think about it. "Valuable content" could mean a lot of things. Industry discourse is more specific.

Elevate the industry to discuss, think differently and evolve should be the purpose of any valuable content. What type of content that should be can differ depending on your specific audiences needs or availability to consume.

Sharing your knowledge through high-quality content is crucial. Whether it's blog posts, white papers, podcasts, or videos, your content should offer real value to your audience. I've found that addressing current challenges, sharing actionable insights, and offering a fresh perspective helps engage your audience and establish your authority in the field.

Yes, create valuable content but know that if you are just getting started, your content might not be great. And that's OK! It's a normal part of the process and you need to keep at it. You will become better over time. Read/listen to your authored content often, put yourself in the shoes of your target audience. Then refine and improve.

You can attend every event under the sun, networking and connecting to everyone. However, the foundation of any successful network lies in trust. It cultivates loyalty, reliability, and credibility. When people trust you, they're more likely to refer you to others, share valuable insights, and collaborate on projects.

Building a robust professional network has been invaluable to my journey as a thought leader. Attend industry conferences, participate in webinars, and engage with peers on social media. I've made it a point to connect and actively contribute to conversations, share others' work, and collaborate when opportunities arise. Networking isn't just about expanding your reach; it's about learning from others and contributing to the community.

Look for opportunities to showcase your expertise. This could be speaking at industry events, hosting webinars, or contributing articles to well-regarded publications in your field. Each speaking engagement or published piece enhances your visibility and credibility. Deciding out of my comfort zone to speak at events has not only broadened my network but also sharpened my ideas through exposure to diverse perspectives.

Staying abreast of your field's latest trends, research, and discussions is non-negotiable. I dedicate weekly time to read industry publications, follow thought leaders on social media, and attend relevant workshops and seminars. This continuous learning not only fuels my content creation but also ensures I can offer the most current and relevant insights to my audience.

Hopefully your thought leadership domain is also a passion for you. This will make it a lot easier to stay updated. I like to listen to podcasts on my walks - a simple way to get multiple perspectives from bright minds of certain domains. It's also good to follow people who are where you want to be. Get inspired and engaged.

Stay updated without letting the noise cloud your mind. To be a stand out thought leader you should keep a pulse on what’s going on but you must be able to generate your own original thoughts, perspectives, opinions and views on things like where your industry is headed, or how new technology is making an impact as an example, otherwise you’re just adding to the noise.

Authenticity is the cornerstone of thought leadership. Your unique voice, perspective, and experiences will differentiate you in a crowded marketplace. I've learned that being genuine and transparent in my content and interactions has helped me connect more deeply with my audience and build trust.

Big words: be yourself, honest, transparent and vulnerable. But what does that mean exactly? Because we wear different hats depending on circumstances. I would say, stay true to your purpose, try different things. Approach your strategy step by step. You will figure out what works for you and your audience. All of these grand statements: 'be you', 'be vulnerable', etc. make things seem more complicated than they need to be. What is your message? get it out there :)

Try to post something at least once a week. If you can, post more often. Sharing your thoughts and ideas regularly, even if it's just a quick update, is a good idea. Posting regularly helps you become seen as an expert in your field. It also helps you build trust with people who might want to work with you in the future. It's important to share useful information and keep up with what topics are popular in your industry, so people know what's worth talking about.

A mi parecer lo más importante para que una opinión cale es que sea firme y coherente. No hay nada más potente que un discurso con sentido; al mismo tiempo hay que hacerse entender con el público al que va dirigido el mensaje y se tiene que interactuar frecuentemente según las necesidades de la audiencia. Hasta llegar al punto de equilibro uno debe de aprender a aplicar y a conocer habilidades que todo buen comunicador debe tener; eso implica estar en constante formación y actualización.